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Our understanding of spiritual matters is often heavily tinted by the perceptions and conditioning of the I-central self. In 'Elementary Philosophy of the Modern Rosycross', Jan van Rijckenborgh endeavors to cut through this conditioning and allow us to glimpse the reality behind these things, as seen from the point of view of the higher, divine Self - whose resurrection is taught in the School of the Golden Rosycross. Subjects covered include: the Brotherhood, the Christ-impulse, magic, initiation, involution-evolution, reincarnation, the struggle between good and evil, the alternation of opposites, the Fall, the subtle bodies, life after death, healing, the relationship between men and women, prayer, the Bible, and the lifestyle and diet appropriate for a spiritual seeker.

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About the Author

The two main authors whose works are published by the Rosycross Press, Jan van Rijckenborgh (1896-1968) and Catharose de Petri (1902-1990), devoted their lives to forming the School of the Golden Rosycross. Their goal was the formation of a group of people in whom the I-central consciousness had been shifted from its position as 'king' in their inner being and restored to its proper role: that of 'servant' to the growing Spirit-Soul, the true Self or inner Christ. However, they were faced with the difficult task of building a bridge of understanding between this goal and the minds of people who, though they had a deep interest in the hidden side of life, saw it largely through the lens of the separative, I-central ego.

Throughout all the many hundreds of talks they gave, and the books they wrote, it is clear that their aim was to cut through the conditioning of the ego so as to give their pupils a distinct vision of what was required of them. To do this they expressed the essential teachings of Spirit-Soul rebirth in all kinds of different ways and considered them from countless angles. Often they found it necessary to speak in a rather emphatic way, and to depict in stark, bleak outlines the depth of human imprisonment in the material world. Always, they used texts, stories and symbolism drawn from all times and all places to illustrate their points, and to show that the transfiguristic path they were teaching was not new, but has been handed down - though often in veiled form - ever since the dawn of human development.

In their expositions of the Bible, which are included throughout most of the books they wrote, Christ is clearly revealed not just as a being who lived 2000 years ago but as a power that, ever since the Fall of humanity, has gone out from the Godhead to seek that which is lost and to restore all things to wholeness. So Christ is the means by which the omnipresent, primordial plenitude of absolute love, wisdom, and power is revealed to us.

Throughout their work, Catharose de Petri and Jan van Rijckenborgh emphasized that the efforts of the ego, whether mental or emotional, mystical or occult, do not give access to this revelation. It is, they said, achieved only via the awakened divine Spark, which they often called the Rose of the Heart or Christ-atom. They taught that although this awakening requires the willing cooperation of the ego, it leads to a gradual inner process of transformation through which the ego's separative state is transcended and a new, higher consciousness is born. This, they explained, was the true, hidden message of the Gospels: an inner path of the cross through which the Christ is resurrected in our own inner being.

Though both had their own individual style of speaking and writing, there was a uniquely harmonious synergy between Jan van Rijckenborgh and Catharose de Petri, and it was as a result of their combined efforts that the Spiritual School they founded in the Netherlands became what it is today: a movement with centers all over the world where the transfiguristic process they lived and taught is put into practice.

The publications of the Rosycross Press are an opportunity to examine this transfiguristic perspective and to gain some idea of the spiritual path embodied in the words Golden Rosycross.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

The striking title of the book was the direct reason for me to buy this book quite a couple of years ago. It is always nice to have a book on the shell in which you can quicly find a few things of what a certain group / streaming has to say about certain things and back then I lacked some descent Rosicrucian (is that really Rosycrucian?) literature. This was also my first encounter (I believe) with the excellent writer Jan van Rijckborgh (also see "The Chinese Gnosis" review). My Dutch copy is already of 1981 and just as "The Chinese Gnosis" printed by "Rozekruis Pers", the Dutch official Rosicrucian publisher. This relatively small book deals with a lot of interesting subjects such as "the three capacities that have to be awoken", "the Christushierarchy" (a beloved Rosicrucian concept), "Magic", "initiation", "involution - evolution", "the wheel of birth and death", reincarnation, spiritism, hypnotism, magnetism, attitude to life (nicotine, alcohol, drugs), politics, the Bible, etc., etc. Very helpfull for a quick overview of Rosicrucian teachings and ways of looking at certain things. Also very nice to read some rather unusual approaches. Tip number one for everyone who want to learn some basic things about Rosicrucian thinking.

It gives you the how's and why's of the Gnostic way of life. Why be vegetarian? Why abstain from alcohol, smoke and narcotics? Why avoid leather clothing? What kind of prayers are answered by the Gnosis, and other types answered by other entities.